mexican vs spanish

[sereia 0]

i always heard this term in new york when i lived there. people would speak of spanish food or people but really meant dominican/puerto rican/etc.

people in my husband's ESL class thought he was mexican (specifically from guadalajara for some reason). its no surprise though. mexicans are the familar dark skin around here, not moroccans!

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

I, personally, have never heard this. I hear the direct opposite. I've heard numerous people call Spanish people Mexicans. But, of course, they refer to anyone in this group as Spanish speakers.

[Sister Fracas 5]

I live in South Texas and I am always getting mistaken for a Mexican. It's god damned annoying! Annoying because so many people assume. This region was settled by the Spanish, my ancestors are Spanish. There are some fcukheads who don't even believe me when I tell them I am Spanish by decent.

When people come up to me and speak to me in Spanish, even if I understand them I reply back in Romanian just to show them it's not a nice thing to assume.

I can only wonder what I will be mistaken for when I move to England this week

you are moving to England this week!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW! Good luck to you there...let us know what immigration type stuff you have to go through...

Anyway, if you sound American, you won't be labelled anything other than American. It's my experience and also from talking with people from other countries is that if you are American, you are just that...not Mexican or Spanish, because that would mean you are from Mexico or Spain. If you have some kind of hispanic accent though, you might be confused for another nationality. You will meet people of many different ethnic backgrounds with British accents and they'd not want to be called anything other than British.

It's something that I wonder for when I move to England...when I become British citizen will people consider me British because I don't talk like a Brit or will I always be an American?

Edited December 11, 2007 by Sister Fracas

[almaty 19]

sanita name sounds spanish.///although, her mother said it was Slavic...she never was called sanita in kazakhstan..but zarina....a good muslim name...

[kisschick1976 0]

I live in South Texas and I am always getting mistaken for a Mexican. It's god damned annoying! Annoying because so many people assume. This region was settled by the Spanish, my ancestors are Spanish. There are some fcukheads who don't even believe me when I tell them I am Spanish by decent.

When people come up to me and speak to me in Spanish, even if I understand them I reply back in Romanian just to show them it's not a nice thing to assume.

I can only wonder what I will be mistaken for when I move to England this week

you are moving to England this week!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW! Good luck to you there...let us know what immigration type stuff you have to go through...

Anyway, if you sound American, you won't be labelled anything other than American. It's my experience and also from talking with people from other countries is that if you are American, you are just that...not Mexican or Spanish, because that would mean you are from Mexico or Spain. If you have some kind of hispanic accent though, you might be confused for another nationality. You will meet people of many different ethnic backgrounds with British accents and they'd not want to be called anything other than British.

It's something that I wonder for when I move to England...when I become British citizen will people consider me British because I don't talk like a Brit or will I always be an American?

Ok well I've been here about two and a half months now guess I should update lol. When I flew on the last segment from Newark to Manchester I was the only American passenger on the plane. The man handing out the landing cards told me so. This meant I was first in line in my very own immigration line When I got to the counter, the lady looked at my visa and asked me two questions: "Is your husband here?" Yes, well he better be, I have a lot of baggage with me! and "What does your husband do for a living?" Software Developer! (last time I went through immigration at Gatwick I was so tired cos I didn't sleep a wink on the flight, plus the sedative, plus the drammamine... I couldn't answer so I waved my fingers in the air to simulate typing! when we came back from Spain, Again I was the only Non-British person on the plane so Jonny and I got our very own booth again He was quite happy that I was his ticket to the express lane

From just living here, I have only been asked if I was American or Canadian. (this after saying that it was very cold here and that where I'm from people are still hitting the beach ) Random people in the grocery stores have been very nice and helpful

I do love it here, I just kinda moved while having a rough time in my life.

[Jasman0717 9]

A lot of the Mexican kids I grew up with wanted to be known as Spanish becasue of the stigma that "Mexican" carried at the time. Now there is new found pride in being Mexican. Brown-Power

[Artegal 1]

around here usually Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Latino is used to describe people who culturally come from a Latin American country or who speak spanish language.

But as far as foods--yeah everyone (Norte Americanos) seem to think that all latin american food is Mexican, from Texas to Tierra Del Fuego. Like when my wife got a job at a restuarant the Owner asked where is my wife from--I said Peru, and she replied great I hope she knows some good Mexican Recipes!

[Scott & Lai 12]

But as far as foods--yeah everyone (Norte Americanos) seem to think that all latin american food is Mexican, from Texas to Tierra Del Fuego. Like when my wife got a job at a restuarant the Owner asked where is my wife from--I said Peru, and she replied great I hope she knows some good Mexican Recipes!

Not everyone

[JVKn'CVO 11]

around here usually Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Latino is used to describe people who culturally come from a Latin American country or who speak spanish language.

But as far as foods--yeah everyone (Norte Americanos) seem to think that all latin american food is Mexican, from Texas to Tierra Del Fuego. Like when my wife got a job at a restuarant the Owner asked where is my wife from--I said Peru, and she replied great I hope she knows some good Mexican Recipes!

haha that's so true! I was asked "oh, can you make enchiladas?"

Saludos,

Caro

[pedroh 21]

around here usually Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Latino is used to describe people who culturally come from a Latin American country or who speak spanish language.

But as far as foods--yeah everyone (Norte Americanos) seem to think that all latin american food is Mexican, from Texas to Tierra Del Fuego. Like when my wife got a job at a restuarant the Owner asked where is my wife from--I said Peru, and she replied great I hope she knows some good Mexican Recipes!

haha that's so true! I was asked "oh, can you make enchiladas?"

Saludos,

Caro

LMAO

but can you make chinchulines?

[kaydee457 13]

Ive never heard anyone call a mexican a "spanish". I have heard people call anyone who speaks spanish a mexican. Its just ignorance I think.

It doesn't take any speaking Spanish, actually. My wife is mistaken for a Mexican quite often. By Mexicans, actually. They usually have the look like a train just hit them when she says that she's from Africa. Just thought I toss that in since we're talking about ignorance...

DITTO....My wife hates it! They approach her and speak spanish to her everywhere we go....They're dumbfounded when she says no habla espanol (I taught her that), I'm Ethiopian from Africa....Surprisingly, many don't know where Ethiopia is.........

[Scott & Lai 12]

DITTO....My wife hates it! They approach her and speak spanish to her everywhere we go....They're dumbfounded when she says no habla espanol (I taught her that), I'm Ethiopian from Africa....Surprisingly, many don't know where Ethiopia is.........

That can't be...only white Americans are ignorant, or so we've been led to believe

[Ban Hammer 13,340]

DITTO....My wife hates it! They approach her and speak spanish to her everywhere we go....They're dumbfounded when she says no habla espanol (I taught her that), I'm Ethiopian from Africa....Surprisingly, many don't know where Ethiopia is.........

That can't be...only white Americans are ignorant, or so we've been led to believe

[Mononoke28 135]

I don't know why people get upset when they ask them if they're from X country. I have a Colombian friend who has darkish skin and dark hair and he's always mistaken for being an Arab and some people even start talking to him in Arabic. He thinks it's hilarious, never gets offended and that's that.

Diana

[franklie 0]

How about the shoe being on the other foot?

True story, I was in Home Depot several years ago talking to a friend in Spanish. I was asked by a customer service if I was speaking Czechloslavakian. #######? I asked the lady if she spoke Czech. She said no... I then said I was speaking Spanish. Her reply? "That does sound like any Spanish that I have ever heard."

Another true story: I go to Tijuana, Mexico to start a journey to Colombia. I speak Spanish to the "taxista" to get a ride to the airport. He asks me if I'm Argentinian. I tell him "No, soy puro gringo" (no, I am pure gringo). He gives me a strange look and then replies, "But you don't speak Spanish like an American. And furthermore you're not a gringo you're a gabacho o güero."

Down in my neck of the woods there are many Mexicans who cross the border to shop or dine or spend the day in San Diego. On more than one occasion I have seen them get upset at Americans of Hispanic background that don't speak Spanish. They use the pejorative term "pocho" to describe Americans of Hispanic background that don't speak Spanish.